Service and Civic Engagement
Our hope is that when you leave Champlain College, you'll be more than just a better student: you'll be a better citizen. Just as we value the sense of community that we created here on campus, we encourage students to think of themselves as members of larger communities—the city of Burlington, the state of Vermont and the world at large. This is why an integral part of your education is the time you spend in service to others. At Champlain all students are required to participate in a community experience during their first year as part of the Life Experience & Action Dimension program.
Our students have always found creative ways to express their commitment to social consciousness. Every fall, for example, students erect and live in an on-campus Tent City for a week to educate and raise awareness about the complex issue of homelessness. Students, faculty, and staff also fundraise for the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS), which provides shelter and services to families and individuals without a home in Chittenden County.
Champlain supports the efforts of students who are trying to make a positive impact on their world. Champlain College's Community Service and Civic Engagement Program offers a number of initiatives aimed at engaging students. Many of these initiatives are the result of individuals identifying a need and working with others in the community to take action and address that need.
Tossing and turning in bed, half asleep, I turned over to where my sister slept about two feet away in the other twin bunk bed.